It's a Baby Shower (Part 3)
6:26 PM
Warning: This post contains information about breastfeeding.
I've been to a lot of baby showers. In fact, I was one of the last in my group of girl friends to have children. While everyone else was nesting and planning, my husband and I were backpacking Europe. All that to say that while I'm so glad my husband and I had that incredible experience of bonding and seeing the world, I have so much joy and love for my son and our baby girl (who will be here in less than 4 weeks!).
Have you ever noticed that baby shower gifts usually don't include a single gift for the mother-to-be? Now, I'm definitely not complaining (at all), but there are some things a mom-to-be could really benefit from. So today's post is all about the gifts moms (like me) would probably enjoy receiving. Whether it be something essential like a nursing bra or something to pamper her like bath gel...here are some fabulous gift ideas for the mother-to-be.
Belli: When I was pregnant with my son, I was DETERMINED not to get stretch marks. Sadly, so much of it is genetic and I did end up with some just like my mother. But, I rigorously rubbed oil all over my belly every single morning and evening with my son (I haven't been as consistent about it with this one). Surprisingly, I haven't developed any new stretch marks and I'm 35 weeks (yeah!). Belli offers three lines of skin care products for pregnant women, babies, and new mothers. I received the Motherhood Essentials Kit which includes products designed to restore a woman's body including nursing cream, eye brightening cream, body firming serum, and hand sanitizer. The company has high safety standards and is the only skin care line that screens for teratogens and xenoestrogens. 
My Brest Friend: Nursing my son proved to be more challenging than I imagined. It also didn't help that I had a c-section. During my many months of nursing, I used an awesome nursing pillow. My very good friend insisted I purchase My Brest Friend. I know I would not have been able to nurse my son comfortably without it. It got to the point where I even brought it with me in the car for nursing sessions. Two things I KNOW make this pillow different from the rest. It wraps around you (so it stays put and so does your baby) and it's got a supportive back rest. I have never tried another nursing pillow but I will say that my son never slid down or rolled away because the pillow was too squishy!
The Shower Hug: I remember all too well the pain of breast-feeding. When my milk finally came in, I was engorged, febrile, and in a lot of pain. I don't know if it's like this for every woman but it was for me. I suffered through numerous bouts of mastitis but I endured it all because nursing my son was of the utmost importance. How I wish I had The Shower Hug! You can use it in and out of the shower and for support and protection for women who have had a c section. So, I guess I'll have to get another since I'll be using it for all 3 purposes! Providing support, protection, and therapeutic relief, The Shower Hug is definitely something that's going to get a ton of use! 
Laugh & Learn: As a nurse with almost 10 years experience in obstetrics and neonatal nursing, you'd think that I'd be the LAST one to fear childbirth. I should know it all right? No Fear! Ha! While I have a lot of knowledge and experience, that didn't (and doesn't) change the fact that there were things I was nervous and even afraid of. If you're a busy mom who maybe doesn't have time to attend childbirth classes, are on bed-rest (like I was with my first pregnancy), or don't like the formal setting of a classroom, you must check out the Laugh & Learn childbirth education program. Taught by an RN, you and your significant other will actually enjoy learning all about childbirth, newborn care, and breast-feeding...all in the comfort of your own home on your time. All three series are informative and actually quite entertaining! Her teaching style is relaxed and non-threatening.
Bravado! Designs: Having a supportive nursing bra is essential (trust me!). I had a very difficult time finding a proper fitting nursing bra after I had my son. Now that I have an idea of what size I will be wearing, it's much easier to purchase bras online (I would recommend getting fitted by a professional the first time around to make sure you're wearing the correct type and size of bra). Many of the nursing bras I saw in stores were supportive, but not particularly attractive. Nursing is not the most glamorous of motherly activities. Bravado! Designs offers comfortably fashionable bras that fit! I particularly like their "What the heck should I buy? section which is a great place to start!
Preggers by Therafirm: When I was 34 weeks pregnant with my son, my feet started swelling (which apparently is quite normal unless you've been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia). I spent a lot of time with my feet up, but it was terribly uncomfortable. Fortunately, I have not had to experience leg swelling in this pregnancy. Pregnancy, as miraculous as it is, can be very uncomfortable. I am very appreciative of companies who have gone out of their way to research ways of making these 10 (yes 10) months more comfortable. When I worked on the floor, I always wore support stockings and socks due to the 12 hours I was required to be on my feet. Preggers by Therafirm offers trendy, comfortable compression hosiery that isn't impossible to put on. Now that it's winter, I've been wanting to keep my feet warm. When given the option, I definitely prefer the trouser socks over the panty hose but I didn't spend ten minutes trying to put either one on (which is a good sign!). They provide enough support to make a difference but they're not so tight that they leave marks. Preggers by Therafirm are not available yet, but soon They also plan on including maternity and postpartum support products in their line. Stay tuned!Are you ready for another game?
We all have a birth story. Some of you birthed at home. Some of you labored for days without an epidural. What I am really looking for is your most inspirational birth story. I will have help from the gals who threw me the shower in determining first, second, and third places, so make it good. You can either post here in the comment section or on your blog (whichever you feel most comfortable). Remember...leave your answer in the comment section along with your prize choices (in order of preference).
Prizes for Game #3:
Laugh & Learn DVD Set, Book, and Tee
Motherhood Essentials Kit from Belli
My Brest Friend Deluxe Pillow
For more fabulous maternity and baby shower gift ideas, please visit the baby shower site.
Entries for this giveaway will close on December 20, 2009 at 10 PM PST. Please note that entries for all baby shower giveaways are different than my normal entry methods. One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.
Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.
Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.
Add the “Baby Shower” button to your sidebar and leave me a comment (be sure it's up for the duration of the baby shower!)
Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest. Be sure to use the hashtag #rockinbabyshower
Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.
Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.
Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!
Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this review. I did receive a product, courtesy of the company in order to facilitate my review.
December 5, 2009 at 9:12 PM
My son was born on my grandfather's birthday and he was so wanted. This was my last pregnancy. I turned 37 today and due to my age and our oldest has special needs we deided not to have any more children. We had miscarried 6 months before and this baby was so special. He was breach and my perfectly planned vaginal delivery went awry. That morning everything seemed to have went wrong, but at 11:06 my beautiful son was born. He was gorgeous and I was so in love!! Breastfeeding was such a sweet bonding experience as he nestled right on my chest. Everything was going so right until I got a staph infection in my incision and had to be seperated for my LO for 14 days. My Mother in law stayed with him and DH stayed in the hospital with me. I was DEATHLY sick. When I held my baby boy again, I cried and cried and I am so thankful for him and that I got a second chance to be his Mom. I had never been away from my 6 yr old son and he had a hard time adjusting. I was finally able to get my Wound VAC off and still have home health coming out and DH does daily dressing changes. I am so lucky to have my boys and so thankful to be alive. This is not meant to be scary, bcz what happened to me is NOT the NORM, but be thankful for each little moment. I feel like I missed so much, but everytime I look into both my boys big blue eyes I feel overwhelmed with LOVE and GRATEFULNESS!
Thanks.
December 5, 2009 at 9:13 PM
Tweet:
http://twitter.com/SCMOMOF2BOYS/status/6391764203
December 8, 2009 at 4:37 PM
It was very important to my husband and I that we have a natural childbirth with our first child. We took the Bradley Method courses to prepare for this marathon. We were 6 days overdue and I was soooo ready to have this baby. I started having contractions late at night and continued to labor through the night and into the morning. At 7:30 AM we anxiously went to the hospital only to find out that I was a mere 1 cm. dialated. We had our work cut out for us. After extensive back labor and 36 hours of labor...my husband was able to deliver our baby with the help of our midwife. He was the one who told me that we had just welcomed a baby girl into the world. We were a wonderful team and were able to bring our baby into this world...naturally...just how we wanted. I'm hoping that our next birth goes just as well...only a bit shorter would be nice! :) We're due in May!!
m_huston(at)hotmail(dot)com
December 8, 2009 at 4:39 PM
Almost forgot...here's my wish list for prizes if I'm lucky enough to win!
1. My Brest Friend deluxe pillow
2. Laugh and Learn DVD set
3. Motherhood Essentials Kit
Thank you!!
December 8, 2009 at 4:42 PM
email subscriber
m_huston(at)hotmail(dot)com
December 9, 2009 at 2:20 AM
With my first his pregnancy was tough, severe morning sickness and bladder/kidney infections getting me hospitalized, I'd lost a bunch of weight(finally after gaining weight back to prepregnancy I only gained 9lbs), gestational diabetes and pregnancy induced hypertension. I was set to be induced with him on July 17th, 2006, because my blood pressure was going crazy high(at times 151/101) and an u/s showed that he was going to be over 9lbs. The induction started at 8pm on Monday the 17th, and things went really slowly, contractions started around 6am but they weren't much and they added my pitocin in. At around 9am my OB came in and broke my water and my epi went in about an hour later. All I wanted to do after that was sleep because it'd been over 24hrs since I'd slept, but I didn't get that people kept coming into my room while I was laboring to yell at my mom's friend who was there(supposed to be supporting me) about a stupid thing she'd done. Then my blood sugars started to drop so I had to eat, they brought me jello...lemme tell you it sucks to eat in labor, I puked it all up. My Ob's had given me till Wedensday the 19th to have him vaginally or he would be a c-section. Finally around 9pm on the 18th I felt like I had to make a really strong bowel movement(tmi lol) and they said it was time. By this point I was pushing 48hrs with no sleep, and had a nasty headache from that and from the oxygen they'd put on me for an hour when his heartrate dropped. I was able to push for around 45minutes till all my strength was gone and they had to get the vacuum out, he was almost out at that point, the vacuum slipped off his head the first time and finally the second time one big push and he was out. He was no where as big as they'd said, and thats the first thing I said "Hes so tiny!" He was only 7lbs 9oz and 21" long at 10:12pm on July 18th(tuesday). After that we got move to recovery and they took him to do his newborn hearing and I slept for a little bit. On Wedensday afternoon I was hoping we could go home but I still couldn't walk right, the epi did something to my left leg and I was still numb, and we were also having an issue getting him to nurse, finally after he was about 6hours old lactation and I were able to get him to nurse with a nipple shield(nursed for 12.5mo with a nipple shield). Then my son got jaundiced, well actually I'd noticed it Wedensday the 19th and told the night nurse and she said he was just fine. He wasn't and they ended up taking him to the nursery(closest our hospital has to an nicu) and put him in the incubator. Thursday I was discharged, I cried, they didn't have the parent boarding room open so I was being faced with leaving without him, but they found me a room on the pediactric's floor because it was empty. So we stayed, luckily he got discharged late Friday night and we were told to keep him in the son as much as possible. Hes now 3.5yrs old and though his life has been far from easy(had major unexplained developmental delays and is now in glasses) hes a happy and rambunctious child.
1. Motherhood Essentials Kit from Belli
2.Laugh & Learn DVD Set, Book, and Tee
3.My Brest Friend Deluxe Pillow
j.mcdilda(@)gmail.com
December 10, 2009 at 12:25 AM
My birth story as told by my hubby, sister and aunt seems like a horror story but to me it was much more a romantic comedy. I have a very low tollerance for pain so I went to the hospital at my first signs of labor. I wanted help as soon as possible. I arrived at about 3am. I was only about 1 cm. But my nerves got the best of me and my pressure went up. There I started my long day of delivery. I watched movies, laughed and joked with my friends. nothing much to it. later that evening after waiting so long the Dr. decided to speed the process and break my water. That hurt a bit but that is were my out of body ecperience happened. I immediately requested an epidural. From then on I was on the ceiling watching the birth of my son unfold. I don't know why but I remember I felt the need to put on a show. Sure the delivery looked rough, excessive and painful but I felt nothing. My sister actually had to read the lines on the paper coming out of the machine to tell me when I was having a contraction. Everytime they told me to push I chuckeled inside, made a face and pretended I was pushing with all my might. I felt nothing. LOL. But I sure looked like I was in pain. I could have gotten an oscar for my performance. Eventually the Dr. again tired of waiting did what he ad to do to get my broad shouldered little guy out. It is only now 6 years later as I sit at home awaiting the arrival of another son have I admitted to my family that I felt no pain durring the last delivery. I surely hope that this experience will be less graphic but equally as pain free as the last.
My prize choices are:
1. My Breast Friend deluxe pillow
2. Laugh and Learn DVD set
3. Motherhood Essentials Kit
Queen2b@hotmail.com
December 13, 2009 at 9:27 AM
The birth of my son was a hard fought but well worth it battle.I had been in and out of the hospital deathly sick the entire time and then he decided to be late on top of it all.First let me say HE was supposed to be a SHE..but more about that in a sec.I had been wanting to move home from Virginia back to Ohio every since I found I was pregnant.I was going to go after the baby had been born,figuring he would be early from all the troubles I was having..boy was I wrong.He was 5 days overdue and I had to move.I made the move on June 12th 2001 and he still did not come until June 14th(even after packing and moving in 1 day-pregnant impulse I guess)When I finally went into labor I could not get him out..it was a struggle and took 2 episiotomies as well as suction and hours of pushing to get my little girl.The doctor finally said those words..Congrats here is your baby girl..no wait he did not say girl-HE SAID BOY.I had probably 20 ultrasounds with that child)due to complications ) and every time they told me ..girl.I had dresses,ruffled panties,tights hair bows you name it..all from 5 hours away..with most of it opened,few receipts and I now had a baby BOY with literally nothing to wear.NOTHING.LOL My grandmother did go to the store and buy me some boy clothing for the hospital and trip home and all was well.You know as crazy as it was, I would not change it now.I did have my little girl..she was my 3rd and last(only took me 6 more years and 2 c-sections to get her) and I am so glad that she has her 2 bog brothers to watch over her.Everything works out in the end.
1.Essentials kit from Belli
2.My Best Friend Pillow
3.Laugh and Learn
December 13, 2009 at 9:28 AM
I have the button
http://hollowsinshaven.blogspot.com
December 13, 2009 at 9:28 AM
I am a feed subscriber
December 14, 2009 at 1:11 PM
oh gosh, i feel bad answering this post because i do not want to scare you... my labor story... here it goes..
For the duration of the end of my pregnancy my ankles and everything was painfully swollen. The doctor decided to test for preclampsia and well it was positive. She told me and my hubby to go to the hospital to be induced. I was scared out of my mind and my husband was like "yes! finally ! we are on our way!"
So, we get to the hospital, which was really really crowded and they set me up to be induced. they gave me one cervidol which had no effect (its suppose to dilate the cervix) so then they let me have jello, being 9 months pregnant and being served jello was just a tease. So then they cave me another cervidol a few hours later which many hours later i started going into intense labor. I went without medication. Then they decided to put me on pitocin. oh boy was that crazy! then they broke my water. My daughter didnt drop into position and the contractions were ridiculous. on that scale they have it went from 92 to 100 to 95 to 100. Finally I was like Ok just give me an epidural. I mean I was vomiting and shaking and the pain was unbearable. (Dont ever let them give you pitocin!) So then I get the epidural and a little rest and then I start feeling the darn contractions again. This time they came back even stronger. My body couldn't stand it at all.
I wasnt able to deal with it and It was many hours since they broke my water and I was only 4 inches dilated (from being in the hospital and being induced for 2 days.) Finally I told them i wanted a c-section. They then realized my blood was not new enough. They had to take my blood and torture me more. For another 3 hours!!!!!! Ahhh... Then finally they did the spinal block and the c-section.
And i dont care what anyone says, you do not forget that pain. oh then after delivery i had to share a room with 4 people.
It was a joy and a miracle, and for the longest time i said never again.. well i consciously made a decision to do it again. now i am 3 and a half months, scared crap of delivery (the doc is planning a c-section) but its still scary..
Good luck with your birth and new baby!
familytiesandgrowingpains@gmail.com
my choices:
1-My Brest Friend Deluxe Pillow
2-Laugh & Learn DVD Set, Book, and Tee
3-Motherhood Essentials Kit from Belli
December 14, 2009 at 1:14 PM
i have your button on my blog
familytiesandgrowingpains.blogspot.com
familytiesandgrowingpains@gmail.com
December 14, 2009 at 1:14 PM
i subscribe
familytiesandgrowingpains@gmail.com
December 14, 2009 at 2:31 PM
So, here's a dad's perspective on pregnancy. Our son will be 3 next month. When I look back at my wife's pregancy it was a good one. It was our first child and we had no idea what to expect. My wife had a good pregnancy with no complications. By the time we were close to the due date, she just wanted the baby out! We ended up having a scheduled C section which was ok. We were waiting forever to dilate and we had a scare with the heart rate dropping several times. Our doctor finally said, "When in doubt, cut it out" referring to the C section. It was a good thing we did do that because the cord was wrapped around the little guy's neck. In the delivery room they made me sit down throughout the process bc they said they have had dads pass out. The process of the delivery was actually fascniating to me. As soon as the baby was out, they let me cut the cord which was pretty cool. I was also able to take photos of the entire deal. I think I took 165 photos right after the baby came out in the delivery room. My wife was half drugged and she kept saying, what are you doing? Stop bothering the doctors and the baby with the flash photos!
Well, we got through the delivery and it was awesome. Funny thing when we were finally leaving the hospital, they told us to dress our baby and we were like, in what? We didn't bring any clothes for the baby, just something we didn't think about. We ended up with the typical hospital garb and that was good enough for us.
The rest as they say is history...Fast forward to today and thousands of poopy diapers and sleepless nights, here we are. Two happy and proud parents.
We've been trying for a second one and have had a miscarriage which was difficult on us, but we haven't given up hope. IVF hasn't worked either, we may try one more time. We're trying acupuncture and some other things, but we are older and time is not on our side. Hopefully we'll be blessed with another one so our son can have a little brother or sister.
Thanks for the contest and allowing me to share my story. It really takes me back...
Proudpoppa
Brest Friend, Belli, Laugh and Learn
eric.romero@Hilti.com
www.proudtobeapoppa.blogspot.com
@proudtobeapoppa
December 14, 2009 at 2:31 PM
Following you on twitter!
eric.romero@Hilti.com
www.proudtobeapoppa.blogspot.com
@proudtobeapoppa
December 17, 2009 at 5:59 AM
I was induced with my first son at exactly 40 weeks. I labored for over 12 hours but my little man wasn't tolerating my contractions. His heart rate kept dropping during labor so the nurses had to turn off the pitocin so that he could recover and relax a little. Every time they restarted the pitocin his heart rate dropped again. Eventually his heart rate dropped into the
60's and didn't recover so I was taken in for an emergency c-section. I had reall wanted to experience a vaginal delivery but I was just happy to have my boy safe and healthy.
I would love to have the -
1. my breast friend
2. the shower hug
3. bravado nursing bras
daniellawolff07 atgmail dot com
December 19, 2009 at 9:39 PM
We had planned a home birth, so when the first contractions began, we went about our business, running some errands. I loved being in Subway and the post office, joking around, with no one knowing I was secretly in labor!
We set up the birthing pool that evening and watched the show Coupling on DVD with Sam's laptop balanced on a chair nearby, until I couldn't concentrate anymore and asked Sam to turn it off. Early the next morning, we called the midwives, and they came over later that morning, a little put out, I think, that we had called them so very early, and skeptical that we were actually about to have a baby.
I thought I was about to give birth. I was kind of wrong about that.
I had studied Hypnobabies childbirth hypnosis, so I stayed really calm throughout. I didn't do all the techniques, but it really helped me remain patient and centered. Which was a good thing!
I had strong pressure in my back with every contraction (back labor, as they call it), so Sam did counterpressure with a massage tool. With every contraction. Good man.
I spent a lot of time in the shower singing and talking to my baby, bouncing on a birth ball, and walking along the beach with Sam. We sat on a log and watched the waves roll in, which is a wonderful metaphor for contractions right there, and a woman walked by and said, "Don't worry — it will come out at some point!" That made me laugh. I don't think anyone else out there knew I was in labor.
I couldn't keep anything down, including that Subway sandwich I was now regretting. I became dehydrated and had a couple IVs.
Eventually, the midwives thought we should transfer to the hospital, because I was still at 5 cm, and Sam and I agreed. The plan was to have pitocin, an epidural, and rest. Because who knew how much longer this would go on!
As it turned out — not much longer! I got to the hospital (hated the car ride!) feeling like I needed to push. Three hours later, with no pitocin & no epidural, my baby was out. Go figure!
It had been 42 hours of active labor, all told. And ready for the best part?
He weighed 11 lbs, 13 ounces. I know, right? We had no idea! I was so astonishingly happy to have had a huge baby. I had been a big baby myself.
He was completely healthy, and I had just a couple small tears that were stitched up, no problems. Pushing him out was the most glorious experience of my life. I was on such a high after he was born — ebullient, I'll say the word is. After all that back pressure, the pushing felt so good. All the back pressure went away, and I knew I was finally doing something to meet my baby.
So, yes, he was out, we found out he was a boy, and we called our parents to tell them, finally, on the third date after labor had started, what our baby's birthday was.
I hope you have a beautiful birth! It really was one of the most empowering things I have ever done.
December 19, 2009 at 9:40 PM
I forgot the prize thing, too. I'll say the My Brest Friend pillow.
I have your baby shower button in my sidebar:
http://hobomamareviews.blogspot.com
mail AT HoboMama.com
December 19, 2009 at 9:40 PM
I subscribe via reader.
mail AT HoboMama.com
December 19, 2009 at 9:41 PM
I Stumbled your post (lintpicker).
mail AT HoboMama.com
December 19, 2009 at 9:54 PM
I tweeted!
http://twitter.com/Hobo_Mama/status/6852683871
December 20, 2009 at 9:36 PM
My labor was actually not too bad, it was the after part that was horrible. I went into labor at 6:30am (this was my first baby), but I wanted to be sure this was it, so I took a bath and then just took my time. I took a shower and did my hair and makeup, suddenly I realized my contractions were 2 min. apart and we lived 45 min. away from the hospital, so I hurried and woke up my husband. We got there at 9:20am and had an epidural by 9:45am. My labor went pretty fast and apparently much faster than the doctor anticipated. He worked about 15-20 min. away and since this was my first he decided it would take me awhile so took his time coming. My baby was ready and started to come, but the nurses said my doctor wanted to deliver him so they made him stay in there. My son ended up in distress, swallowed meconium and other fluids. So, after he was born, I got to spend an hour with him and then they whisked him away and I didn't get to see him for many hours. Finally they let me see him in the NICU. I couldn't hold him and it broke my heart to finally have my baby but not even be allowed to hold him. I wanted to nurse him and told that to the nurses, but they fed him formula anyways. The next morning a nurse finally listened to me and let me hold him so I could try and nurse him and he of course had no interest in me when he could get it much easier from a bottle. I was devastated and very emotional over all of this. My husband and I said a prayer and had all of our friends and family pray. Later that day, my son almost completely recovered. They let me have him in my room and instead of him having to stay an extra week or so, he only had to stay one extra day, but he was allowed to stay with me. We also were able to use and S & S system to try and get him into nursing and after more prayer, a week after he was born, he finally nursed without the system and has been nursing since! My advice to anyone is to speak up and demand the best for their baby! For my next baby I will not let them wait for the doctor, my next baby will not wait for anyone!
December 20, 2009 at 9:36 PM
I have your baby shower bash button!
rachel_demille@yahoo.com
December 20, 2009 at 9:39 PM
I stumbled this post (Rdemille)
rachel_demille@yahoo.com
December 20, 2009 at 9:41 PM
I follow you on Twitter and Tweeted!
http://twitter.com/tobinsmommy08/status/6884740943
rachel_demille@yahoo.com